The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1887-07-16
MAGNOLIA, MISSISSIPPI. SATURDAY, JULY I6, l8sZ

to certain extent be correct.
But it will be sufficient for my
present purpose to regard it rath-
er as practical than theoretical,
and hence to consider it as COM
bining tirmness ard resolution, OF
Il tixedness of purpose and an un-
waverlng determination to exc
cute that purpose,
Universal as the possession Of
this noble element of true great
ness may seem at first to be, vet
Il closer observation will show
how little it is understood, and
how very few, comparatively,
arc governed by it. There il,
perhaps no tralt of character in
which men pride themselves more
than in their independence, and ii
is thought to be SO common, that
you can find no ono willing to
believe himself destitute Of it.
The obvious reason of this great
disparity between the real and
the imaginary possession of mon
tai independence is, the diversity
of opinions entertained in rcla-
ton to its nature. Some suppose
it consists in throwing off what
they call the prejudices Of the
old, antiquatea opinions Of the
world, and in startling bold theo-
ries-or striking new paths both
IN science and religion. Such
men would be thought to possess
superior wisdom AMI true great
ness to be independent thinkers,
uatrammelled by the old maxims
Of philosophy, or the severe re-
stnctions of the accepted religion.
How silly and pusillanimous they
appear. They seem not to have
one proper conception Of true,
noble and dignified independence.
To boast Of an independence Of
the settled laws OF philosophy, or
of the moral principles of the
received religion, is neither great
ness nor independence. As well
might the pirate claim to be in
dependent while crimsoning the
decks of the merchant vessel up
on the high seas, or that revolu-
tionary spirit on land, while seek
ing the destruction of all law and
order, eor Satan and bis maignan
compcers in Heaven, attempting
the subvorsion Of Gods moral
| government hero. That is not
independence which violates the
laws Of order, Of nature or Of
| God. 1t is madness and folly.
The insane man who proudly
walks the halls Of his asylum and
boasts Of his fancied independence
is no more the subject of a men
tai hallucination than those free
thinkers, who, Boosting Of men
tai freedom and liberty arc the
victims Of delusion and oltcntimes
the slaves of corruption. There
is no independence oil true great
ness in that cultivated ecccn-
tricity-that obliquity of intellect
which can reject the clear de-
monstratlons of truth, and cm-
brace the most absurd and foolish
paradoxes. 1T Is the bascst SCR
Witty 10 which a human intellect
ever bowed.
The old heather, Juvenal, tells
us that "true wisdom is but the
echo of natures voice." and ma,
ture, we know, deals in no AFRO
CANT assumptions.
/ Again, rashness and passions
are not elements of mental indie
pendence: yet from their indul'
gence it would seem that multi
tudes regard them as such. Tc
all such persons as these, calm de-
liberation, and the sober dcduc-
tions of a sound judgment appear
as evidences of a weak and vaGil-
lating mind. They seem 10 re-
gard mental independence as that
power of the mind by which il
grasps truth by intuition in all its
multitudinous and mysterious re-
lations of the sublime results oi
deep, thorough, patient investiga-
tion they have no knowledge.
But let everyone remember that
neither rashness nor passion con
stitute true greatness, but eviucs
pride and vanity-the very re
verse of every dignified princi
pie In man.
The irruptIye earthquake may
break up marble quarries, but il
never reared a tomple-it may
bury cities but it never built one
tits true, these passions seen
for a moment to clothe the mint
with remark lable energy anC
power, but they only grid it VI
to some desperate act, and then
exhausting themselves, leave il
weakened and nrosfratp Pni